Biostatistical Consulting
Faculty and staff of Oncology Biostatistics consult widely
within the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and with outside entities. Within
the limits of our availability, consultations are free of charge for Cancer
Center members, including help with grant preparations and clinical protocols. For
investigators both inside and outside the Cancer Center, we typically establish
academic collaborations with appropriate grant support and academic credit,
rather than fee for service.
Our range of activities is not limited to clinical studies
or oncology. Faculty and staff have their own areas of expertise including
oncology, laboratory methods, bioinformatics, AIDS, surgical trials, neurologic
disease, ethics, and others. We are also actively engaged in biostatistical
issues outside the campus, including significant interactions with NIH, FDA,
pharmaceutical companies, Cooperative Groups, journals, national Data Monitoring
Committees, and international collaborations.
Some of the specific tasks that we are called upon to
provide include:
- Help in formulating and developing an important scientific
question into a feasible and appropriate design that will allow the study
to meet its stated objectives. Provide advice on any modifications in study
design that might become necessary as a project progresses.
- Develop non-standard study designs when necessary to
achieve specific objectives. Ensure that there are clear and consistent
definitions of study objectives, eligibility criteria, primary and secondary
endpoints for analysis.
- Establish and conduct quality control procedures. Implement
plans for interim monitoring and analyses when appropriate.
- Provide advice on the structure of the research database
and interface for data entry and data retrieval, and procedures to ensure
data quality, integrity, and confidentiality.
- Design, perform, present, and interpret statistical
analyses.
- Developing new, non-standard analysis tools when necessary
to achieve study-specific or programmatic goals.
- Actively participating in program-wide and project
specific meetings.
- Collaborate in the preparation of manuscripts and abstracts
based on study results.
- Mentor fellows and junior faculty with regard to quantitative
research methods. This is especially important in the area of gene expression
analysis and interpretation.
If you would like assistance with these or other areas
of cancer biostatistics, please contact us at: (410) 955-4884.
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